


Wanderlust

by PridefulSinner



Series: Promised Roads. [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Darcy learns Romanian, F/M, James "Rhodey" Rhodes (mentioned) - Freeform, Sam Wilson (mentioned) - Freeform, Steve Rogers (mentioned) - Freeform, Wanderlust
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-05
Updated: 2016-09-05
Packaged: 2018-08-13 03:42:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7961107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PridefulSinner/pseuds/PridefulSinner
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Darcy needs a break, it leads her in the most unlikely of places and she finds herself completely okay with that, until she's not anymore.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wanderlust

**Author's Note:**

> This bit is more of a summarization of the Lead up to The Path to the Long and Promised Road, as the one thing that always bothered me about that, was _why_ Darcy reacting to so strongly to finding Bucky post Civil War. I needed answers, and while I didn't hash any of them out completely. This at least shadows as to what went on between the pair. 
> 
> I would like to note that this has not been beta'd. I know I struggle with keeping my writing in one tense, but like I said. I needed to get this out.

Darcy needed a break, she needed one from Norse Gods, Aliens and super heroes. She needed one from black holes and space and all of the so called, Hard Sciences. She gave Jane plenty of heads up, set her up with an assistant that was honestly, better than Darcy herself was, (At least, in the Science department.) She packed up her apartment in Stark Tower and hopped on the first flight headed anywhere but the US or England.

She landed first in Germany and backpacked her way to France, spent a few weeks in Switzerland and then Austria, detoured down to Italy and visited all it had to offer. She spent nearly a month wandering the country side before she took a boat to Greece.

She enjoyed making her way through Greece, she stayed for four months, finding a little café run by an older couple in Kavala that needed the help, they paid her and let her stay in the small apartment above the café until their oldest Granddaughter returned from school. Darcy bid them a fond farewell and promised to keep them up to date with her travels, she had their Granddaughter Kassandra on facebook and the two spoke often.

Darcy continued North and worked her way through Bulgaria before landing in Romania, eight months after her journey started. She’s not really sure what convinced her that Bucharest was the place she should settle, but it seemed comfortable, for now anyway. Maybe her Wanderlust would be sated soon and she’d make her way back to the States, but for now she settled comfortably in her little flat above a busy Market place. She took the time to learn bits and pieces of the language until she became fairly fluent in it (With the extensive help of Rosetta Stone), although it still tended to be a bit broken and her American accent was always prominent.

She spent her time mostly on the little balcony of her flat, or curled up on her sofa watching tv. Mostly though, she was working in one of the Libraries at the National University of Political Science, she got the job with the aid of stellar recomindations from both Jane and Pepper Potts, if she wasn't at the University, she was helping teach English to those that wished to learn, both young and old. Although, she found many in the area knew it to some extent. It made living there a bit easier for her.

She was comfortable with her new home and made sure that she skype'd with her parents at least once a week, and with Jane usually every other week. She had a few friends from work and from her building and also babysat the children in the apartment two doors down from hers. It wasn't exactly a _thrilling_ life, but it was comfortable and she was having fun and learning everything Romania had to offer her.

And then one day, she met him.

 

Darcy stood on her tiptoes, reaching to place a book on the highest shelf before settling back down on her feet and continuing down the aisle where her bookcart sat. She smiled and exchanged greetings with the students and professors that greeted her along the way.

Once every book was put away, she went about making rounds, seeking out those that may need help. That's when she noticed him, a man sitting in a corner by himself, looking frustrated and haggard as he poured over several books, he was grumbling beneath his breath as he closed several of the books and slumped back against his chair.

 

Her own brows furrowed and she took a step closer, "Scuzati-ma ? Ai nevoie de ajutor pentru a găsi ceva ?" (Excuse me, Do you need help finding anything?)

 

Her accent was terrible, but her Romanian good enough that she was certain he understood her.

Blue eyes glanced up from beneath locks of dark hair, " Nu. Nu sunt destul de sigur ce caut , oricum." (No, I'm not quite sure what I'm looking for anyway.) She's a bit shocked when the next works he speaks are in perfect English, no hint of accent to be found. "You're American?"  


She let's out a little laugh and nods her head, eyeing roaming over the books on the table top as she moves closer and placing her hands on the back of one of the chairs across from him, "My accent that terrible?"

The faintest qurik of his lips gives away his amusement. "Just a tad."

"Well, I've only been here three months, I bet I'll get better with time, before here I back-packed a bit, my accent it all over the place." She shrugs a shoulder, "You sure you don't need any help finding anything?

His eyes glance back at the books; he's got several tombs on the Political impacts of WWII in front of him as well as several others she's not familiar with, and heaves a sigh, "No. I don't think I'll find it here, whatever it may be."

"Oh, alright then. If you're done and don't mind, I can collect these then, for re-shelving?"

He grimaces slightly, pushing himself up a bit as he looks around at all of the books on the table, “Maybe I can help? I didn’t mean to make such a mess of things.”

“I can tell you right now at least half of these are on the top shelf which I can hardly reach, so yes. I would very much like the help, it’ll save me a headache later, literally. The amount of books I’ve dropped on my head is excessive.”

She counts the snort of amusement as a win as she gathers some of the books she knows are on lower shelves. “I’m Darcy, by the way.” She says, introducing herself seeing as her ID badge is tucked away into the folds of her sweater.

He’s standing now and she takes note to the slight hesitation as his gloved hands reach out to gather his own portion of books before offering up his own introduction with a nod of his head, “James.”

Darcy beams at him, “Well James, let’s get these put away?”

He nods, lips quirking up slightly as he gestures for her to lead the way, “after you, doll.”

She flushes at the word, ducking her head and walking towards the shelf were at least three of the books were from. She misses the look of surprise that graces his features at the term of endearment, as well as the shake of the head before he follows her to aid in putting the books away.

 

Despite what he’d said previously, James shows up at least three times a week at the library for the next month, the books he pulls are never the same and there’s always at least a dozen of them, half of which are on the top shelves. He always helps her put them away, quietly quizzing her on her Romanian as they talk about random things.

She talks more than he does, but his companionship is welcoming and she always looks up with a brilliant smile whenever he walks into the library.

It takes them a full month and a half from the time they met, until they ventured outside of the library together.

Darcy spent hours agonizing if meeting for dinner at the café down the road after work, consisted as a Date or not.

“Doar pleaca !” Her co-worker, an older lady named Irina shoos, waving her hands in Darcy’s direction when it comes time to leave, ”N-ai văzut cum se uită la tine ? Totul va fi bine.” (Just go! Have you not seen how it looks at you? Everything will be fine.) Darcy flushes, ducking her head as she hurries from behind the circulation desk, ”Da, Irina . Dar eu nu știu ce vrei să spui .” (Yes Irina, but I don’t know what you’re talking about!) She takes pride in how her accent has improved since her impromptu lessons.  Irina simply smiles as she watches the girl rush off, muttering beneath her breath about young love, and stubborn children. Darcy, doesn’t hear a word of it.   

They continue on, days spent in the library, lunches and dinners at various café’s and restaurants. She invites him over and cooks in her sunny little kitchen, they eat on her small balcony. He becomes such a frequent talking point in her calls with her parents, Jane and Kassandra, that they often ask after him.

She knows if she’s not careful, she’ll end up falling for him. If she’s honestly with herself, she kind of already has.

He shares bits and pieces about him, she learns he’s ex-military and suffers from memory loss due to an injury, it helps explain why sometimes he seems in a far off space. She learns of his buddy, Grant and how he’s originally from New York.

She tells him of her siblings, and home originally being Pennsylvania.

There’s something nagging at her, that he resembles someone she knows, but he always laughs it off and distracts her with something else.

She learns every scar on his skin, learns of the damage done to his arm. “It’s not quite normal,” He confesses, clenching a not quite flesh-toned fist, “Lots of surgery’s and mechanics, but it looks normal enough, not the same as before, but. It’ll do.”

She makes every effort to show him that it doesn’t bother, she can tell how much he appreciates it, when the creases in his brow fade each time she curls against his left side.

It’s seven months to the day, that she’d met him. Just about 18 months since she set out on her Journey, that she nears the truth.

“Darcy! Quick!” Irina, urges from where she’s stood before the TV in the lounge of the library.

Darcy’s brow furrows as she moves closer to the TV, setting her phone back into her pocket, she was just about to message James and ask if they were still on for Dinner, he’d promised to try his hand at making plum dumplings for dessert and she wasn’t sure if he was picking them up or if she would on her way home before he come over, her eyes instead are now trying to follow along with what’s happening on the screen.

She hasn’t paid much attention to the news lately, she’s been busy with James, as well helping care for Demitri and Sophie from her building while their mother is working. It’s been cartoons, and playdates, work and dinners with James. Of course she’d heard about what was going on with the Accords from Jane and her Parents, heard of the bombing at the UN. But she’d set out to escape all of that. Before Bucharest, Darcy would’ve devoured the Accords and knit-picked at everything. She’s a bit ashamed to admit she hadn’t even read it. So of course she’s surprised when War Machine appears on the TV screen,

“Rhodey? What on Earth…”

Her voice trails off in a gasp as she notices just who else is there, Steve laying down his Shield, Sam looking defeated, but more importantly, She lets out a choked little cry, her hand going to cover her mouth, because suddenly, everything clicks into place as her eyes cover every inch of the man standing with them. Of the man with his hands behind his head, the man kneeling before Rhodey and Steve, the one being arrested alongside Captain America and the Falcon. The man who’d she’d just kissed goodnight not even 10 hours ago, before he’d left for his own apartment across town.

She stumbles into a chair as she breathes out a single name, the same name that is flashing along the bottom of the screen, “James…”

**Author's Note:**

> Ta-da!
> 
> I used Google Translate for the Romanian, if it's completely wrong I am so sorry, I ran it through several times in hopes it would come out right. (one sentence it wouldn't let me exchange he for she, so I'm pretty sure I call Bucky a girl somewhere, whoops.) 
> 
> I may find the muse to flesh out some of these moments between Darcy and Bucky as some of the scenes are dancing though my head, but they wouldn't come properly while writing this, so this shall do as a decent back story for now. 
> 
> If anyone would like to aid in beta-ing or helping me anywhere else with this story, please feel free to message me about it. :) I would love the insight and the help!


End file.
